Customer Reviews

Concert Sound and Lighting Systems, Third Edition

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This book contains very general information on the basic steps and equipment required for a concert. It is very basic and provides very little technical information.

This book contains many errors. In one chapter the book discusses PZM microphones. It refers to an image of an SM-57 microphone. This is incorrect.

Another section of the book discusses Phantom power and says that the power travels down both balanced audio lines and states that they are pins 1 and 2 of an XLR. Again this is incorrect. Phantom power travels down pins 2 and 3 which are the real balanced audio lines.

This book states to always allow for 4 amps per power amplifier. This is a wild statement when he does not know what power amplifier the reader is planning on using. Many amplifiers can use more then this amount and could be a disaster to anyone who only supplies 4 amps to each amplifier.

Author also states that the speed of sound increases with heat and humidity and then says that the actually speed depends on atmospheric pressure and air density. Humidity has little to nothing to do with the speed, but rather the absorption of acoustical energy.

I do not recommend this book for anyone! There is very little useful information and far too much inaccurate information. Many chapters consist of one to two pages which have only a couple of paragraphs on each. These are major topics and should have a lot more coverage in the book. Images are all in black and white and many are hard to make out what they are of. Author does not cover digital information as he should.

Overall this book gives a good overview into the field of concert lighting and sound. Much of the equipment talked about in this book is no longer in use in the field. The book does not include any talk about fiber optic cables, which are becoming a standard. I would only suggest this book to a younger reader that just wants a feel for the field.